Nomiki Konst, a journalist with The Young Turks, spotted the two men after a candidate forum at the Woman's National Democratic Club. The two were dining at Cafe Dupont, in the city's Dupont Circle neighborhood.

The two campaigns released a brief statement after the dinner, explaining that the two DNC chair candidates talked about cooperation no matter the outcome of the Feb. 25 vote in Atlanta.

"Tom and Keith are friends and grabbed dinner together to discuss how to move the Democratic Party forward if either of them wins. Just as they've done with other candidates."

Perez and Ellison are considered the strong front-runners in the race — both men's campaigns claim that they are nearing the majority of voting members needed to win the position. But if no candidate eclipses the majority on the first ballot, the race will move to subsequent rounds, where the outcome becomes less predictable.

That's likely the best hope for the other candidates who are trying to pitch themselves as unifiers, playing up on Ellison's support from the progressive wing of the party and Perez's backing from more establishment liberals. New Hampshire Party Chairman Raymond Buckley, South Carolina Party Chairman Jaime Harrison, South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Idaho Party executive director Sally Boynton Brown and former Fox News pundit Jehmu Greene are also in the race.